Sigma 8mm lens ring with Ultimate R1 focus ring movable?

[etegration]

Lens ring for Sigma 8mm for Canon should have plenty of clearance from the camera. Check if you ring is installed at the proper anchor point.
http://www.nodalninja.com/Manuals/R1_QRG.pdf

You can mark the focus distances on other area of the lens, not covered by the lens .


Fanotec lens ring clamps are built with special attention to the safety of lens.

Features and Highlights

Plastic insert is placed between the outer metal ring and the lens. It is contoured to fit the lens and hence increase area of contact.
Large clamping area to reduce stress on the lens barrel, reducing the risk of damaging the lens.
Mounted close to the camera to reduce stress on the lens due to gravity of camera body
Rolling the camera/lens in any position including the popular 0, 60 and 90 degree positions
Index marks for every 90 degrees in the front and every 30 degrees at the back for easy alignment of roll of lens.
Permanently mounted to lens, making reproducible mounting possible, and much quicker to setup.
Compact and light weight

note: improper use of lens ring clamp may cause stress and damage to the lens. Manufacturer is not responsible for damage to the lens due to use of lens ring mount.

Thanks for replying nick. Transparent material on the part where the indicators are maybe? marking the lens is as good as damanging the lens.

[nick fan]

Thanks for replying nick. Transparent material on the part where the indicators are maybe? marking the lens is as good as damanging the lens.

You can just mark some dots on the focus ring. if you don't like marking, you can use some high quality label or tape.

Nick

[DennisS]

Thanks for replying nick. Transparent material on the part where the indicators are maybe? marking the lens is as good as damanging the lens.

Adding a clear plastic window to the ring will make the cost go way up. Impossible if you want to keep the cost down. I was able to machine a window simply because I have access to the machinery and know how to machine parts.

Damaging the lens? Hardly. A small dot of white paint or some tape is very far from damaging the lens. Nick is not suggesting taking a file or drill to your lens. A simple mark of some sort will work.

[hindenhaag]

A clear plastic window won't be useful besides extra work and costs in case we want to turn the lens to another set up to reach full coverage of the scene on R1/R10.

So the best and easiest way would be to take a tape or a white mark.

Heinz

[etegration]

Adding a clear plastic window to the ring will make the cost go way up. Impossible if you want to keep the cost down. I was able to machine a window simply because I have access to the machinery and know how to machine parts.

do post some pics Dennis. Wanna see how your machined one look please.

[DennisS]

Nikon 10.5 ring mount:



Sigma 8mm ring mount:



A hand drill and a file would give you the same effect. Although not as clean as milling, it would work.

I had discussions with Nick way back when I did this mod. He helped me understand how cost prohibitive this would be to put into production.

[Vincèn]

I had discussions with Nick way back when I did this mod. He helped me understand how cost prohibitive this would be to put into production.

Shame it's so expensive in production because result is really nice :)

Vincèn

[nick fan]

Shame it's so expensive in production because result is really nice :)

Vincèn

It is expensive to add one more face of machining.
More importantly, each window is customized to a particular lens. That will greatly increase the number of lens rings. Beside some people may want to use different roll angles, eg 30/60 deg to put the sensor diagonal vertical, or 90 deg to use the camera in portrait mode on NN Ult M1. All these means huge number of options to make and thus increase our cost greatly.
Considering the ease and effectiveness of markings/ labeling on lens, I don't think it is worthy to do so. We only use 1-2 focus distances. So 1+2 points will suffice.
You know what, expert/ professional photographers use lots of labeling on their equipments. Doing so will only raise your image as a professional pano-photographer.
Of course, in a group of pano-photographers using our lens rings, Dennis will just reveal his professionalism. True Pros always have some custom made equipments and trade secrets that the average do not have or know.


Nick

[DennisS]

Nick,

What would be your "best guess" be at a price to do this piece by piece? I know that there are set up costs and other considerations (do you want to dedicate a manual mill just for the purpose of cutting out windows?) associated with anything custom. Would people be willing to pay $250 or more for an extra non refundable service fee just for the window cut out? Look at the price 360 gets for their "one off" stuff.

Dennis

[Vincèn]

It is expensive to add one more face of machining.
More importantly, each window is customized to a particular lens. That will greatly increase the number of lens rings. Beside some people may want to use different roll angles, eg 30/60 deg to put the sensor diagonal vertical, or 90 deg to use the camera in portrait mode on NN Ult M1. All these means huge number of options to make and thus increase our cost greatly.
Considering the ease and effectiveness of markings/ labeling on lens, I don't think it is worthy to do so. We only use 1-2 focus distances. So 1+2 points will suffice.
You know what, expert/ professional photographers use lots of labeling on their equipments. Doing so will only raise your image as a professional pano-photographer.

Thanks for explanations :) Aside of the cost of production, it looks way too complicated as you would need so many different rings

Vincèn

[nick fan]

Nick,

What would be your "best guess" be at a price to do this piece by piece? I know that there are set up costs and other considerations (do you want to dedicate a manual mill just for the purpose of cutting out windows?) associated with anything custom. Would people be willing to pay $250 or more for an extra non refundable service fee just for the window cut out? Look at the price 360 gets for their "one off" stuff.

Dennis

It is difficult to estimate the extra cost in order to manage this custom order. My factory is messy enough now.
If the item goes through resellers, I am sure it will cause them lots of mess as well. Direct shipping to customers will increase the shipping cost and delivery time.
The large number of complaints of the custom pano head manufacturer is not without reasons, apart from personal characters. It is simply too exhaustive to manage small custom orders, esp when the production workflow goes through many contractors. The whole process may take more than a month!
You know what, many firms are not willing to take my small orders even if I pay much more. It is simply too exhaustive for their managers.
I'd rather spend my limited time and resources on new product development. New product development is an investment that may bring lots of returns. Custom order is just a production and transaction, as you said "one off" stuff. It won't bring us much future returns.

Nick

[etegration]

beautiful!

[etegration]

Would people be willing to pay $250 or more for an extra non refundable service fee just for the window cut out?

Hope i'm not too blunt, that price can get "the other" panoramic head with no cutting needed.

[DennisS]

Hope i'm not too blunt, that price can get "the other" panoramic head with no cutting needed.

You are being direct and to the point. As a consumer you need to decide what equipment fills your needs. If there is nothing on the market you either do without or fabricate it. If the "other" pano head does what you want, go buy it. You are also buying a certain level of support both before and after the sale. I am fortunate that I have the tools and skills necessary to make just about anything I need. My cost is some scrap metal, hardware and my time. This is not rocket science. Anything (within reason) that holds the camera in the correct postition is doing its job. If you cannot cut out the window, use some paint or tape. Low tech fix.

[DennisS]

beautiful!

Actually, if you take a close look I am off center vertically by about .030". That's the perfectionist in my speaking out.